Rural Workforce Shortages in Australia

Rural workforce shortages are forecast to hit the 100,000 mark over the next five years according to a report produced by the National Farmers Federation who are calling for the government to act to get more skilled and unskilled labour moving to regional areas.

The NFF expects that an extra 10,000 to 20,000 employees will be needed on farms or in the agricultural supply chain each year. If the shortage continues the rural economy is at risk of collapse as labour cannot cope with the surging demand.

There are currently 22,000 vacancies for fruit-picking positions across regional Australia which are costing horticultural farms around $100,000-a-year each in unpicked rotting fruit alone.

The report calls for the government to address the workforce crisis through flexible and focussed migration programs as well as domestic relocation.

Whilst many living in Australian cities believe there are more migrants coming into the country than Australia can cope with, those in regional areas have a very different reality. The Minister for Agriculture and Population, Tony Burke said Labour shortages in some parts of regional Australia are providing a brake on productivity and the people who argue that Australia couldn't cope with anymore people need to understand that Australia doesn't only exist in capital cities.”

The government is expected to reveal new migration policy in the next few weeks and it is hoped regional skill and labour shortages will be addressed.